A Place to Rest
by Fender18
Summary: Following the conclusion of war, Dorothea and Petra have returned to the newly restored Officers Academy as faculty members with hope of reverting to a more normal and peaceful life. When Petra soon finds herself needing to travel back to her homeland and inherit her position as Queen, she presents the most beloved woman in her life with an offer that she couldn't possibly refuse.


Author's Note: Inspired by Dorothea and Petra's adorably sweet support conversations and paired ending as well as Dorothea's S support. Sexual content. I hope you enjoy! Thanks for reading!

Fender18

* * *

It had been several months since the war had come to its end. Thanks to the efforts of the Black Eagle Strike Force, the Imperial Army and its allies, the corrupt Church of Serios had been exposed and subsequently dismantled. Under the rule of Emperor Edelgard, Fódlan had been unified and peace restored. Upon the conclusion of the war, Emperor Edelgard had decided to allow restoration of the Garreg Mach Monastery with the intention of reopening the former academy to educate students without the religious affiliations. The damaged portions of the monastery had been beautifully renovated and it was once again brimming with plenty of new promising, bright young students to the Officers Academy. Edelgard had also requested that several of her faithful allies accept teaching positions at the new academy. Among those allies were Dorothea Arnault and Petra Macneary. Dorothea had taken to working in the infirmary alongside Manuela while Petra had been focused on assisting students in learning a variety of different weapon tactics. As former classmates of the Black Eagle House, Dorothea and Petra had grown very close over the years and had become quite attached to one another, especially during the war. Dorothea was grateful that Petra had decided to stay at the monastery and teach, even if it would only be for a short while as she knew Petra would soon need to return to her homeland of Brigid and ascend the throne.

* * *

"Well, that was our last patient." Dorothea said, as she began to tidy up some of the supplies in the infirmary.

"Do you have any plans with Petra this evening?" Manuela asked.

Dorothea blushed. "No. I heard she's been at the training grounds all day with a group of students. I haven't even seen her today."

"I'm surprised. The two of you have been even more attached than usual. I've spotted you leaving her room early in the morning several times recently. Maybe that has something to do with it?" Manuela said, a sly smile creeping across her lips.

"It's nothing like that at all." Dorothea's cheeks and neck flushed an even deeper shade of red. "I've been having a lot of night terrors about the war lately. I don't like sleeping alone and staying with Petra just makes me feel safe."

"I can understand why." Manuela nodded. "I can't believe the two of you still aren't a couple yet. You better snatch her up before it's too late. You know it won't be long before she's crowned the Queen of Brigid, if you're her partner, you could have everything you've always wanted. Wealth, prestige, someone to take care of you. You'd be set for life. You'd never have to worry again. Is that what you've always hoped for?"

"I don't care about all of that anymore." Dorothea sighed. "I want to be with Petra because I've honestly fallen in love with her. At first, I thought it was only a crush and I'd outgrow it, but then it developed into so much more than that. I just don't know that she'll ever see me as anything more than a friend. I'm too afraid to ask her."

"You shouldn't be. I've seen the way she looks at you and have you forgotten that she risked her life to save yours during the war? How much more evidence do you need?"

"She's a warrior. It's what she does. She protects everyone. But, she's always seemed so uninterested in romance…"

"I'm not sure it's disinterest, exactly. You said it yourself, she's a warrior. I'm sure when the war broke out, fighting was the only thing on her mind. It's what she was trained for."

"I guess you're right. But, the war ended months ago and she still hasn't made a move on me. I don't know what I'm supposed to think."

"To me, she seems a little shy and mostly inexperienced. With someone like Petra, you'll probably have to be the one to make the first move, I'm afraid."

"I think that's probably true." Dorothea sighed. "I want to tell her how I feel, but I have no idea what to say. I can't even begin to explain all that she means to me."

"Maybe I can help you figure it out." Manuela said. "If you don't have any other plans, what do you say we head over to the dining hall? We can talk over dinner."

"That sounds great."

It was a few minutes later that the door to the infirmary opened and Petra stepped inside.

"Dorothea. I was hoping that I would be finding you here." Petra said.

"Petra. Are you all right? You're not hurt, are you?"

"No." Petra shook her head. "I am fine. I was hoping that you would be joining me for a meal?"

"Oh, uh…Manuela and I were actually just about to-"

"Finish cleaning up the infirmary." Manuela interjected. "But, I can handle that on my own. You two should go."

"Are you…sure?" Dorothea asked. "We-"

"Dorothea, I have taught you nothing?" Manuela playfully scolded. "How could you ever decline a dinner invitation from such a pretty young lady."

Petra blushed a bit. "You are welcome to be joining us also, Professor Manuela."

"Thank you for the invite, I wish I could, but I really must stay here. Go on." Manuela smiled at Dorothea. "Don't worry about me."

"Okay." Dorothea returned the smile.

Petra opened the door to the infirmary and motioned for Dorothea to exit the room ahead of her.

"Thanks." Dorothea's eyes locked on Petra's for a moment.

Once Petra had exited the room and had taken a few steps ahead of Dorothea, the former songstress turned around and mouthed the words "thank you" to Manuela to which Manuela replied only with an encouraging wink and soft smile.

* * *

It was a cool early autumn evening, Dorothea and Petra leisurely strolled through the monastery grounds, happily enjoying each other's company, underneath the ample light of the month's beautiful Horsebow Moon. As they walked, Petra glanced over at Dorothea and noticed that she had her arms wound tightly around her own body.

"Dorothea. Are you having cold...uh...are you cold is what I am meaning." Petra corrected herself, she had made great strides with reading and writing the language of Fódlan, but much of the time she still struggled to form proper sentences with her speech.

"Oh, I'm fine, Petra." Dorothea said sweetly. "I just didn't expect it to be quite so chilly tonight, that's all."

"If you are needing additional warmth, then you may be having my jacket." Petra said, slipping her jacket off of her own body.

"Oh. Are you sure? You don't mind?" Dorothea asked.

"I am not minding at all." Petra said. "I will be fine without it."

Petra held her jacket out and aided Dorothea in slipping her arms through the sleeves.

"Thank you. You're just the sweetest." Dorothea flashed a flirty smile and gently placed a kiss to Petra's cheek.

"You are making my cheeks blush." Petra said, shyly.

Even by moonlight, Dorothea could make out the hint of a light red shade beginning to creep over Petra's face and neck. Dorothea absolutely adored this side of the Petra. It amazed her that a woman who was such a serious hunter and incredibly dangerous assassin on the battlefield could also be so soft, sweet and cute when they were alone together. Petra could swiftly strike down even the most formidable of foes with her sword or effortlessly snipe an entire fleet of wyvern riders right out of the sky with her bow and yet somehow here and now the warrior princess of Brigid had been reduced to a shy, grinning mess. Dorothea wasn't quite sure when exactly it was that she had seriously fallen in love with Petra, but by this point in time, she knew she was in deep. They had always been close friends since meeting at the academy years ago and Dorothea had always been attracted to Petra, both physically and emotionally, but she hadn't begun having true romantic feelings until much later on. She surmised that those feelings had likely developed at some point during the war. At one of the most difficult and trying times in her life, Petra had always faithfully remained by her side, comforting and reassuring her when she needed it the most. Dorothea recalled frequently crying into Petra's shoulder many, many times after battles when they found themselves alone together. It weighed heavily on Dorothea's mind each time she was forced to meet the all too familiar faces of former friends and classmates on the battlefield. Staring into apprehensive eyes, knowing that one of them likely would not survive to see another day deeply pained the former songstress and it was not something that she would soon or easily forget. She had always felt relieved and grateful that her life had been spared, but even so, she was still often unable to mask her sorrow and regret. During the war at times when sleeping quarters had been limited, Dorothea and Petra frequently shared a room as well as a bed when it was necessary for units to double up and countless nights Dorothea had cried herself to sleep in Petra's arms. Dorothea appreciated Petra's unwavering kindness and understanding nature as she tried to comfort her in the best way she knew how. This eventually led to the former songstress seeking out the warmth and familiarity of Petra's bed even on nights when there was more than enough space for her to be able to sleep alone. Dorothea honestly didn't know how Petra was always able to remain so strong and seemingly unaffected throughout the course of the war. Petra was always perfectly composed and stoic. She never cried, in fact she rarely showed any emotion at all on the battlefield. She only ever took a life out of necessity and no matter if that life was human or beast, Petra was sure to kill quickly and cleanly each time, she was never brutal nor cruel. She somehow always managed to carry out such a horrible, inhumane task in the most humane way possible so as not to cause a foe any unnecessary suffering while awaiting the cold hands of death to embrace their mortal soul as they met their untimely demise. Even when Petra hunted game, she was always sure to utilize every part of her kill, never allowing the death of the slain creature to have been in vain. These were things that Dorothea had come to greatly respect about her closest friend.

As they began walking again, Petra reached downward and nervously laced her fingers with Dorothea's. Dorothea smiled to herself, since Petra was never overtly emotional, it made Dorothea incredibly happy any time that Petra showed even the slightest, most innocent displays of affection toward her. Truth be told, however, Dorothea often found herself desperately confused when it came to labeling her relationship with Petra, especially as of late. She and Petra were practically joined at the hip. They shared almost all of their meals and free time together, playfully flirted, often held hands and had even so much as kissed on a number of different occasions, though most affection had been initiated by Dorothea and their kisses had never been anything but friendly, innocent and chaste and Petra never appeared to be uncomfortable about any of Dorothea's advances. Best friends didn't quite seem appropriate enough and yet they were still certainly a very far cry from being considered lovers. Most people at the monastery including many friends, faculty and strangers alike had always naturally assumed that Dorothea and Petra were a couple even if they had never officially stated anything to that effect, but at a time when Dorothea's self-esteem had plummeted to the lowest point in her life and with her depression reaching an all-time high, she assumed she was probably just misreading and significantly overestimating Petra's more than likely innocent, non-romantic intentions and therefore she always found herself too afraid to actually ask Petra to label their relationship in any kind of formal way, as the former songstress greatly feared being rejected by the Princess of Brigid.

"I will be walking you to your quarters now." Petra said. "I am not wanting for you to catch any more cold."

"You don't have to do that." Dorothea said. "I know you had a long day of training with the students. I'm sure you're tired. I can make it back on my own..."

"I am fine. And I am insisting also. I have awareness that the monastery is safe, since the ending of war, but it would still give my mind great uneasiness to be knowing that you are walking alone in the darkness. I am not wanting anything to be happening to you."

"Well, if you insist." Dorothea smiled and nodded. "I'd be happy to have your company."

"I would be happy to be having your company as well." Petra said. "I am always enjoying our time together.

Petra slightly tightened her grip on Dorothea's hand as they continued on toward Dorothea's room. Petra's hand clasped tightly with her own had always brought about a great sense of comfort to Dorothea. She felt safe with Petra and Dorothea was incredibly grateful to have had the princess by her side on the battlefield during the war. Even a warrior as seemingly fearless as Edelgard couldn't help but feel much safer with Petra nearby. Even though she was relieved that the war had ended, Dorothea still found herself relentlessly haunted and tortured by memories of the bloody battles that they had fought side by side merely months ago. Petra had always been more than willing to assume the position fighting out on the front lines so as to protect her friends from harm. She was as brave and loyal as she was strong. Dorothea began to once again lose herself in her thoughts as she recounted all of the time that she spent tending to Petra's wounds after a battle. She had practiced her healing spells over and over and had become quite advanced with healing and medicine that many of her comrades often specifically sought her out for help during and after battles. Manuela had been so impressed by Dorothea's natural abilities as a mage that she had been more than happy to take her on as an apprentice to assist her in treating patients in the infirmary and Dorothea very much enjoyed working in the infirmary. She spent much of her time practicing to perfect her white magic spells and happily healed people alongside of Manuela, but no matter how much she tried to put it out of her mind, Dorothea still often suffered from frequent flashbacks and night terrors about the war, particularly about the day that she had had her skill and strength tested in the most dire situation that she had ever faced in her young life.

During an exceptionally difficult battle, just when the Imperial Army believed they had defeated the enemy troops, heavily armed reinforcements arrived from nearly every direction, quickly closing in and ambushing Edelgard's Imperial forces. Dorothea fought her hardest, but found herself seriously outnumbered and rapidly losing strength. Petra of course quickly rushed to her aid, taking down as many enemies as she could along the way, but Dorothea soon found herself face to face with a soldier who had emerged from behind some thick shrubbery. The soldier's bow was drawn at a fairly close range and his eyes locked intently on her. Dorothea wanted to attack, or at least try to run, but her legs were frozen in place and wouldn't budge an inch no matter how hard she tried to will herself to move. It was as if time was standing still, any moment the soldier would release his arrow and almost certainly bring forth the end of her would-be short life. Before Dorothea's brain could even process what was happening, Petra had already instinctively leapt in front of her, firing off a single quick shot from her own bow as well as fully absorbing the impact of the arrow that had been meant to seal the fate of the former songstress. Dorothea could only watch as the arrow from Petra's bow flew across the field and hit the enemy soldier. Dorothea quickly averted her eyes as the soldier fell to the ground, killed instantly by the precision of Petra's shot. Dorothea then looked on in horror at the arrow that had impaled Petra's own chest. The shaft protruded outward, buried deep in her flesh near her left breast. Dorothea's heart sank and her breath caught in her throat she could only watch as Petra dropped straight to the ground with a hard thud, her hand clutched in a tight fist around the shaft of the arrow that had impaled her.

"Petra!" Dorothea fell to the ground to assess the wound, which was now bleeding and heavily saturating her shirt. Besides the most obvious injury to her body, Petra also had several other serious wounds, that were now bleeding quite severely as she had taken many blows while fighting her way through a group of soldiers in order to get to Dorothea.

"No. Please..." Dorothea began to panic. She was unable to keep herself from crying, her hands now stained with Petra's fresh, warm, bright red blood. "Don't leave me. You can't-"

As she hovered over the princess, several tear drops from Dorothea's eyes fell down and landed on Petra's cheeks.

"Dorothea..." Petra exhaled a sharp, ragged breath as she stared up at the former songstress with heavy eyes.

Dorothea's head snapped up as a bright purple and black light raced across the sky, through her tears, she recognized the light to be that of one of Hubert's ultra-powerful dark magic attacks, which easily obliterated the remaining soldiers in their vicinity.

Edelgard whipped around and noticed a critically injured Petra, lying on the ground struggling to breathe. Edelgard knew that she was obviously in excruciating pain, even though the Princess of Brigid desperately did all that she could to hide her agony. Edelgard's eyes widened when she saw Dorothea's hands and clothing which were now soaked with an alarming amount of Petra's blood.

"Hubert. Take Petra and retreat. You must get her help immediately." Edelgard said. "Do not let her die."

"But, Lady Edelgard-" Hubert began to protest.

"Now!" Edelgard demanded. "Take Dorothea and Manuela with you. The rest of us will handle things here. Go!"

Although he was dead set against leaving Edelgard's side, Hubert did as commanded. He lifted Petra into his arms and fled back toward the Imperial Palace with Manuela and Dorothea following closely behind. Once they reached the infirmary, Hubert carefully laid Petra down in one of the beds and removed himself from the room as the Princess of Brigid began to close her eyes and slowly slip into unconsciousness.

"No. Stay with us, Petra." Manuela pleaded. "Don't give up, you have to fight. We're going to do everything we can, I promise."

Tears streamed down Dorothea's cheeks, blurring her vision as she watched Manuela tear open Petra's shirt to assess her wounds. Dorothea wanted to do something to help, but she was far too upset to even think clearly, much less react. Petra's normally tanned skin now bore a ghostly pallor and a profuse amount of smeared blood. Her eyes were only small slits and her breathing was so shallow that Dorothea couldn't even detect the rise and fall of her chest, except for whenever Petra sharply gasped in for a desperate, excruciatingly painful breath. When Manuela touched her, the princess' skin was cold and clammy and Manuela could only detect just the faintest hint of a pulse, indicating that her condition was rapidly deteriorating and that they didn't have much time to act.

"Pull yourself together, Dorothea." Manuela urged. "If we're to have any hope of saving her, I'll need your help. We haven't but a moment to spare. She's going into shock. She's already lost a significant amount of blood, if we allow her to lose any more she'll die."

Despite the fact that Dorothea was more upset and terrified than she'd ever been in her entire life, she quickly swept the tears away from her eyes and silently vowed to do absolutely anything within her power to help save Petra's life. Dorothea and Manuela worked together to first stop the hemorrhaging from Petra's wounds. Once the bleeding was under control and Petra's condition reasonably stabilized, the two healers turned their attention to the arrow that was still unsettlingly protruding straight upward from Petra's chest. They meticulously removed the arrow from Petra's flesh, paying careful attention so as not to cause any additional internal damage. Once the arrow had been successfully extracted, Dorothea and Manuela relentlessly performed healing spell after healing spell in hopes to mend the wound. After a few hours, luckily, Petra's condition had improved significantly. Dorothea and Manuela collectively breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the worst of the ordeal was now behind them and that Petra would likely be able to make a full recovery.

When Dorothea had finally been rewarded with a calm, peaceful moment to herself to gather her thoughts, she exhaustedly slumped back against the wall as she ran one of her hands through her own hair. She closed her eyes, silently processing everything that had just happened. After a few moments, Dorothea felt a hand on her shoulder, she opened her eyes to find Manuela standing in front of her.

"How are you doing?" The older woman asked. "Are you all right?"

"Yes. I'm all right." Dorothea said. "Thank you for saving her life, Manuela." Dorothea leaned in, enveloping her friend and mentor in a tight embrace.

"I couldn't have done it without your help." Manuela said. "You've become such an impressive healer and I am so very proud of you. I know you were afraid, but you put your fears aside all for Petra's sake."

"Thank you." Dorothea smiled. "I just couldn't bear the thought of having to watch her die. Especially not after she fought so hard to protect me."

"You should go to her. She's conscious and alert now. She's asked to see you."

"Me?"

"Yes. She's worried about you. She wants to know that you're all right."

"I can't believe she's worrying about me right now. After everything she just suffered through."

"You're obviously very important to her. Go on now. Petra needs to rest, make sure that she does. She'll listen to you."

Dorothea nodded. She hugged Manuela one more time before walking into the room where Petra was lying on her back in bed, staring up at the ceiling. It was an unusual sight to see Petra in such an idle state and it made Dorothea slightly uneasy.

"How are you feeling?" Dorothea asked, placing her hand on Petra's forehead and gently stroking her hair. "Are you still having pain? I can perform another healing spell if you need it."

"It is okay. I am only feeling a little pain now." Petra said.

"Can I get you anything?" Dorothea asked.

"No. I am fine." Petra shook her head. "You are all right?" Petra asked with concern in her voice. "You are not having any injury?"

"I'm not injured. But, you shouldn't be worrying about me. You need to relax so you can get better."

"You are forever having my biggest gratitude for helping me." Petra reached for Dorothea's hand. "I am owing you my life."

"No. I should be thanking you. You saved my life first. I can't believe you would have done something so reckless..."

"You are having importance to me." Petra smiled looking up at Dorothea. "I will always be protecting Dorothea."

"I'm glad you're all right. You're so important to me too." Dorothea squeezed her eyes closed, fighting back the tears that had begun to prick behind her eyes. She then leaned down and gently placed a kiss to Petra's forehead, which caused the princess to subtly blush.

"I think I'll go get you some tea. Something to help you sleep. You really need the rest."

Once Edelgard and her army had forced the church's reinforcements to retreat, she and the other members of the Black Eagle Strike Force made their way back to the palace. Upon arriving at the palace, Edelgard immediately rushed toward the infirmary, where she found Dorothea walking down the hallway.

"How is she?" Edelgard asked nervously, hoping for the best, but fearing the worst. "Is she alive?"

"She pulled through and she'll be okay." Dorothea nodded. "We were able to get all of the bleeding under control. And I don't know how, but the arrow she was shot with didn't pierce her heart, lungs or any major arteries." The former songstress breathed a sigh of relief. "She's lucky."

"That's wonderful news." Edelgard exhaled her own relieved sigh. "Thank you for saving her."

"It wasn't my efforts alone that saved her. I never could have done anything without Manuela's guidance. She deserves the credit."

"I am overwhelmingly grateful to both of you. We can't afford to lose Petra."

"No. We can't." Dorothea shook her head. "I've relied on her for so long that I can't even think about life without her. I don't ever want to lose her. I feel so horrible. That arrow was meant for me and she jumped in front of it. She risked her life to save mine, Edie." Dorothea's eyes began to fill with tears. "She didn't even hesitate and she nearly died all because of me..."

"She's special to you." Edelgard placed her hand on Dorothea's shoulder. "The bond you share with Petra is much deeper than the bonds you share with even your closest of friends, is it not?"

"We're close, but-"

"Don't play coy with me, Dorothea. You know I can see right through that act." Edelgard playfully chided. "You clearly feel differently about her..."

"Okay. You're right." Dorothea admitted. "It's that obvious...?"

"It does show." Edelgard nodded. "How traumatic this must have been for you." She said, sympathetically. "And concealing your feelings weighs very heavily on your heart..."

"I just care about her so much. She's always been by my side whenever I've needed someone and...I…I love her more than anything." This was the first time Dorothea had actually confessed her feelings for Petra aloud to another person and it felt extremely satisfying to finally confide in someone for once. "I've tried so hard not to have these feelings, but I can't help it. I know she could never possibly feel the same way about me." Dorothea sighed heavily.

"I realize that Petra is not the most emotional woman, but from where I stand, it seems to me that putting her own life at risk to save yours is quite a substantial indicator of her true feelings. She certainly feels the same way about you."

"I'm not so sure." Dorothea shook her head. "Petra would have done the same thing for any one of us. It's just who she is. It doesn't mean-"

"It is your choice to decide if and when the time is right to share your feelings. While I certainly can't condone romantic affairs taking precedence over our ultimate goal here, you should know that it's all right to tell her how you feel and pursue a relationship."

"Thank you. But, I already I feel terrible for focusing on my own stupid feelings right now. We're in the middle of a war. How can I be so selfish with all of this fighting going on and people dying..."

"You're not selfish. You're only human. Feeling the kind of love for someone that you feel for Petra is special and rare. The reason that her heart is even still beating at this very moment is largely due to your own efforts to save her. There's nothing selfish at all about how you feel right now."

"Today was the toughest battle yet." Dorothea said, tears beginning to slip down her cheeks. "I've never been so scared. I don't know if I can keep doing this. When will it all finally end?"

"Soon. We are very close to achieving our goal. Victory is within our grasp and we will prevail." Edelgard reached up and used her sleeve to dab away the moisture from Dorothea's eyes and cheeks. "It's all right. Dry your tears now."

Since the day that Emperor Edelgard had declared war on the Church of Seiros, many people of Fódlan had been quick to label her an arrogant, ruthless and evil tyrant possessing the coldest, blackest heart of any ruler in the history of the Adrestian Empire, but Dorothea knew that wasn't true at all. Edelgard was certainly a dangerous warrior and a complex woman. There was no denying that her past experiences had indeed filled her heart with immeasurable rage, grief and pain. But, even so, Edelgard was not the cruel, brutal dictator that the church had portrayed her to be. Even in spite of suffering through a horrifically tragic past, she was kind, sensitive and sympathetic, that much was clear as the Emperor of the Adrestian Empire stood before Dorothea, comforting her and brushing away her tears with a gentle hand.

"We must stay strong and see this through to the end to ensure a better future, not only for us, but for all of Fódlan." Edelgard said.

"I'll try my best..."

"Good. You're much stronger than you give yourself credit for, Dorothea. I've witnessed you grow tremendously since the days when we were classmates together. You must believe in yourself and your abilities."

Dorothea nodded. "I was just about to go get some tea for Petra. Is there anything I can get for you?"

"No, thank you." Edelgard shook her head. "I need to meet with our generals and discuss our next course of action. But, I'm going to visit with Petra for a few minutes first."

"I'll be back shortly. But, Edie...please don't tell her how I feel about her." Dorothea pleaded. "She's sweet and kind. I don't want her to feel badly if she can't return my feelings. I know she doesn't have the heart to hurt me and she'd end up feeling guilty. I don't want to burden her. Especially not in this condition."

"I won't say a thing. You have my word. Though, I do hope you will eventually find the confidence to be true to your heart and allow yourself to finally find some happiness in your life. You have much love to give and I would hate to see such a devoted heart go to waste."

When Edelgard entered the infirmary, Petra sat up in bed a little upon hearing the door opening.

"Oh. Lady Edelgard. I was thinking that you were Dorothea entering the room."

"She'll be back in just a moment. Don't try to get up." Edelgard spoke softly and gently placed her hand on Petra's shoulder guiding her body back down so that she was lying on the bed again. "How are you feeling? Poor thing must be in terrible pain." Petra's shirt was open, she currently had numerous bandages concealing her wounds, but the one that obviously stood out the most to Edelgard was the large bandage wrapped all the way around Petra's chest, covering both of her breasts. Edelgard noticed that there was a small red patch on the left side where some blood had begun to soak through the bandage.

"The pain is not as severe as I was having before. I am feeling much better. Dorothea and Professor Manuela are treating me with great care."

"It was very brave of you to protect Dorothea the way that you did." Edelgard said. "I'm very happy that you're safe. You gave us all quite a scare today."

"You do not need to be concerning yourself with me." Petra said, politely. "You are having many other things of importance to be thinking about."

"Indeed." Edelgard nodded. "I do have much to think about. But, I care deeply for my friends and allies. I don't want to lose a single one of you."

"You will not be losing me. I will be surviving and fighting always with hardness for Lady Edelgard."

"Your loyalty is unmatched and much appreciated, Petra. The empire is fortunate to have you. I can never thank you enough for staying by our side. I admit when this all began, I wasn't sure where your allegiance would lie, but now I feel foolish for ever questioning your loyalty. I was prepared for the possibility of facing you in battle, though I'm relieved it didn't come to that."

"I am believing in you and your ideas of the future. When the war is ending, I am hoping that the Empire and Brigid will be uniting and becoming great allies. I am wanting for us to be shaking hands and working together."

"That we will." Edelgard agreed. "Our goals as rulers are much the same."

"I am in agreement. I am wanting the best future for the people of Brigid for when I am becoming queen."

"Of course." Edelgard nodded. "The people of Brigid are lucky to have such a strong and determined future queen fighting for their best interests. Will you be returning to Brigid immediately after the war?"

"I am not having certainty about the future. I am missing my homeland, but I am liking my life here also. My grandfather is wanting for me to be finding a partner for marriage before I take the throne from him. He is hoping for me to be marrying a person of Fódlan."

"Oh? And is there anyone special you have in mind?"

"I am thinking of one person, yes." Petra smiled. "I am wishing that one day after the war is ending she will be wanting to travel home to Brigid with me and become my wife. But, I will not be asking her yet. I cannot be thinking of things such as marriage yet."

"Well, I'm sure when the appropriate time comes, she will be more than happy to accept your proposal." Edelgard smiled.

"I am hoping that is the truth. But, now we must be thinking about war."

"You're right. I won't rest until we achieve unity and peace for all of Fódlan. I know that together we will accomplish and maintain just that."

Dorothea then returned to the room with a hot, wonderfully aromatic cup of tea.

"That smells lovely." Edelgard said. "Chamomile, is it?"

"Yes." Dorothea nodded and then turned her attention to Petra. "And before you complain, I know it's not your favorite tea, but it'll help you fall asleep. I'm going to see that you drink every drop. And I promise, I'll be right here by your side when you wake up."

"I will not be complaining, but I am thinking you are worrying too much about me." Petra said. "I am okay now."

"I know that, but still I just want you to let me take care of you." Dorothea said. "I'll help you sit up."

Dorothea placed the cup of tea on the table next to the bed and carefully helped Petra into a sitting position, placing a pillow behind her back for extra support.

"When you're finished with your tea, I'll change your bandages again before you go to sleep."

"I have gratitude for your kindness." Petra took Dorothea's hand in her own.

"Just promise me that you'll be extra careful from now on." Dorothea said. "You're strong, but not invincible, even though you think you are." She gently stroked Petra's hand with her thumb. "I don't want to see you get hurt like this ever again."

"I will be using caution." Petra said. "You are having my promise."

"I think I'll just leave the two of you alone." Edelgard smiled, placing her hand on Dorothea's shoulder.

"As for you." Edelgard then turned to Petra, placing her hand on the princess' cheek. "Rest up, dear one. The Empire will need your strength for the next battle. Please do not hesitate to let me know if you need anything at all."

Dorothea was only pulled back to the present time once she realized that Petra had stopped walking because they had arrived at their destination. Dorothea had no idea how they had managed to walk all the way across the monastery grounds without her even realizing that they had been walking at all.

"Are you all right? You are not seeming like yourself." Petra said.

"I'm okay. I've just had so much on my mind lately."

"You are having the nightmares again?" Petra questioned.

Dorothea nodded. "I can't get them to stop." She took out her key and inserted it into the lock on the door. "No matter what I do, they keep coming back."

"I am having concern for you. Would it give you comfort for me to be spending the night here with you?"

"Yes, I would appreciate that very much."

"Then I will be staying."

Before following Dorothea inside, Petra plucked a fresh red rose from the flower bed near the windowsill.

"I am wishing for you to be thinking about happier things. You are deserving peace." Petra said, handing the rose to Dorothea and closing the door behind them. "There is no reason to be worrying now."

"Thank you." Dorothea smiled as she brought the flower up to her nose and inhaled the fresh, light scent. "As long as I have you around, I know I'll be all right."

"Dorothea?"

"Yes, Petra?"

"I am hoping that we can be having a talk. There is something of importance I am wanting to discuss with you."

"Of course. What is it that you want to talk about?" Dorothea asked, slightly nervously.

"Well-I am...I..." Petra stuttered. "I am not having certainty about how to be saying-"

Dorothea set the rose down, slipped Petra's jacket off of her own body and slung it over the chair in front of her desk before turning around to face Petra again.

"What's wrong?" Dorothea asked, taking Petra's hand in her own. It was odd to see the Princess of Brigid seem so uneasy and unsure of herself.

Dorothea noticed that Petra's hand had become immensely sweaty over the course of only a few minutes.

"Your hands are so sweaty. Are you feeling all right?"

"I am fine. But, my stomach is feeling strangely now."

"Are you sick? Do you need to lie down?"

"No. I am not having a sick feeling...I am having a...a flutter-I am always having this feeling when I am around you."

"Aw. Do you have butterflies in your stomach?" Dorothea teased, poking the princess in the middle of her abdomen.

"You are silly, Dorothea." Petra chuckled. "I am not having any winged insects inside my stomach."

"It's only a figure of speech." Dorothea giggled. "It means you're nervous. Are you feeling nervous about something?"

Petra nodded.

"What about?"

"I am needing to tell you...I am having to be leaving the monastery soon."

"You're going home to Brigid?" Dorothea asked, her sentence presenting as more of a statement rather than a question as she already knew the answer.

"Yes. My grandfather is not well." Petra said. "The time will be soon arriving for me to be taking over the throne from him. I must be accepting my place as the Queen of Brigid."

Dorothea's heart sank and tears quickly began to fill her eyes. She knew the time would eventually come that Petra would have to leave her and return home to Brigid, but even so, no amount of preparation could have ever adequately braced her for the sharp, painful ache that she now felt deep inside her heart.

"Please do not be crying." Petra said, softly. "It is hurting my heart to be seeing your tears."

"I'm sorry. I can't help it." Dorothea wrapped her arms around Petra and cried into her shoulder.

"I did promise to be lending you my shoulder for your crying." Petra said, wrapping her arms around the brunette. "I will be keeping my word."

"I'll miss you so much." Dorothea sniffed. "But, I know you'll make a wonderful queen."

"I am wanting to ask if...you would be liking to travel to Brigid with me? I would love to be showing you my homeland-"

"You want me to come to your coronation?" Dorothea pulled back and looked Petra in the eyes.

"I am wishing for much more than that." Petra reached up and tucked a lock of Dorothea's hair back behind her ear. "You are precious to me. I am having great love for you, Dorothea."

"You...you love me?" Dorothea smiled as her heart literally skipped a beat. This was the first time Petra had ever explicitly stated her feelings. "You're really saying that you love me?"

Petra nodded. "You are always filling my heart full. Whenever we are spending time together, it gives me happiness."

"Oh Petra. I love you too." Dorothea leaned forward and pressed her lips to the princess'.

Petra happily returned Dorothea's kiss without hesitation, but Dorothea found herself surprised when Petra abruptly broke the kiss much sooner than expected.

"It is impossible for me to be imagining my life without you." Petra reached into her pocket and retrieved a small object. "I am greatly hoping for you to be accepting of this gift." Between her fingertips, Petra now held a beautiful shiny silver ring, containing a large, sparkling gem stone in the center of the band with two smaller, yet equally luminous stones set on either side of the large one.

Dorothea's breath caught in her throat and she placed her hand on her chest, she almost thought that her heart had actually stopped beating as she stared at the beautiful ring being presented in front of her.

"I...I need to make sure that I understand what this means. I hope I'm not embarrassing myself, but...are you asking me to-"

"I will give clarification. My grandfather is hoping for me to be marrying..." Petra interjected. "I am asking if you are wanting to come to Brigid and be my wife?"

Dorothea stood speechless and dumbfounded, her mouth agape.

"I would be liking greatly to have you as my partner, but if you are wanting to stay here at the monastery, then I will have understanding also."

"Petra." Dorothea finally managed to choke out as she placed both of her hands on either side of the princess' face. "I would love to be your wife. So much-"

"It gives me happiness that you are deciding to be accepting my gift." Petra smiled.

"But, are you sure you want to marry me instead of a noble?" Dorothea asked. "You know, I don't have much to offer you or your kingdom. I'm still only a commoner after all." Dorothea looked down, averting her eyes from Petra's.

"I am not caring about your possessions. Your things are never mattering to me." Petra placed her index and middle fingers underneath Dorothea's chin, lifting her head up until Dorothea's eyes met her own once again. "I am not having love for anyone else. I am only having these feelings for you." Petra said as she then slipped the ring onto Dorothea's left ring finger. "As long as you will be giving me your love and affections, that is all I am ever wanting."

Petra leaned forward and placed a chaste, lingering kiss to Dorothea's lips. When the kiss was broken, a fresh round of tears began spilling down Dorothea's cheeks.

"I am having confusion." Petra said. "You said you are wanting to be coming to Brigid and be my wife, but you are still crying...why are you having sadness?"

"Oh. Sweetheart, I'm not sad at all." Dorothea said. "These are nothing but happy tears."

"I see. Will you be needing my shoulder again? For your happy crying?"

"I might." Dorothea sniffed and wiped away her own tears.

"Then I will be happy to be lending you my shoulder whenever you are needing it. For sad crying or happy. And I hope you are having awareness that when you are my wife, I will be providing well for you. You will not be having to worry."

"I can't believe this is actually happening." Dorothea held her hand out in front of her and stared at the ring on her finger, the stones glittering as they caught the light.

"I hope you are liking this ring." Petra took Dorothea's hand in her own. "It was belonging to my grandmother many years ago."

"I absolutely love it. And I love you more than anything." Dorothea wrapped one arm around Petra's shoulders while her other hand buried itself into Petra's thick, dark hair.

"I have been wanting to share my feelings with you for a long time." Petra said, placing her hands around Dorothea's waist. "But, I have not been having enough courage to speak about my feelings."

"And here I thought a big, brave warrior like you wasn't afraid of anything." Dorothea teased, gently running her fingers through Petra's hair.

"Even many brave warriors and hunters of Brigid are having at least one fear. We are not perfection...perfect, I am meaning." Petra smiled.

"I'm only teasing you." Dorothea chuckled.

"I am always liking your teasing." Petra laughed. "It is filling my heart full, knowing that you are wanting to be spending your life with me."

Dorothea smiled brightly, leaned forward and pressed her lips to Petra's. This time the kiss was much more passionate and heated. Dorothea closed her eyes and parted her lips, eagerly granting Petra's tongue access to her mouth. Petra's hands slowly slid up to the small of Dorothea's back as her tongue met Dorothea's for the first time. The former songstress moaned into the princess' mouth as her tongue worked against Petra's, settling into a slow massaging rhythm. This kiss was obviously much different than any of the previous ones had been and it was incredibly arousing for both of them. As they kissed, Dorothea's hands slowly slid over Petra's chest and began to undo the buttons on her shirt. One by one, Dorothea popped open each button until the two halves of Petra's shirt fell open. Dorothea then slid her hands up over Petra's stomach to her bra-clad breasts.

"You are desiring intimacy together. Tonight?" Petra asked, staring into Dorothea's deep green eyes.

"I am." Dorothea nodded and placed another kiss to Petra's lips. "If you're okay with that, of course. I don't want you to feel that you have to if you don't-"

The rest of Dorothea's sentence was silenced with another searing, passionate kiss.

"I am sharing the same desires." Petra smiled when the kiss was broken. "Making love with you would be giving me great happiness."

"Me too." Dorothea happily returned the smile and placed her hand on Petra's face where she gently stroked the triangular shaped tattooed mark on the princess' cheek with her thumb. "I've waited so long for you to come and sweep me off of my feet..." Dorothea said, breathlessly.

Dorothea then found herself surprised when Petra bent down and swiftly scooped her up into a princess carry. Even despite their height difference, Petra stood holding Dorothea up with minimal effort. Petra may have been smaller in stature, but for what she lacked in height, she more than made up for in physical strength. With her overall strong physique, well-defined muscles, tattooed marks and weapons that she almost always carried, Petra certainly didn't look like the typical, classic version of a princess that fairytales often described, much less did she act like it. She was a warrior and huntress, she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, she was never the type to sit idly by and play the damsel in distress. Although she was the sole heiress to the archipelago of Brigid and had many people willing to serve her every need, she disliked being waited on by others and this was something that had always commanded Dorothea's attention and attracted the former songstress to the princess.

"Oh my." Dorothea giggled as she wrapped her arms around Petra's neck. "You're literally...sweeping me off of my feet."

"Is this not what you are wanting?...Oh...I think I have understanding...sweeping you...off your feet...must be another of your...figures of speaking?" The upward inflection in Petra's voice indicated some degree of uncertainty.

"Yes. Exactly." Dorothea nodded. "It means that you've made me fall madly in love with you."

"I am sorry. Learning the language of Fódlan is still giving me great difficulty." Petra began to blush. "There are many phrases to be learning."

"Don't apologize. You've made so much progress." Dorothea had always found Petra's way of speaking and literal interpretation of phrases to be nothing short of endearing as well as incredibly charming. "Besides, I like having you hold me like this." Dorothea said, her fingertips dancing across Petra's shoulder and behind her neck. "But, right now, I'd like it even better if you took me to bed." She pecked Petra's lips with her own.

Petra happily carried Dorothea toward the bed and gently laid her down. Petra then quickly pulled her boots and socks off while Dorothea ridded herself of her own shoes, hastily kicking them off and sending each one sailing across the room in opposite directions. Petra climbed onto bed and straddled Dorothea's slender waist. Petra leaned down and kissed Dorothea, she quickly slipped her tongue past Dorothea's parted lips and into her mouth. Dorothea's heart raced, her tongue meeting Petra's in a sultry, erotic dance that dripped with desperation and unresolved sexual tension. Dorothea slowly slid her hands underneath Petra's shirt and up the small of her back, until they reached her shoulders. Without breaking the kiss, Petra shrugged her arms out of her shirt sleeves and carelessly allowed it to fall to the floor. Petra was the first to eventually break the kiss, she slowly trailed a sequence of heated kisses down Dorothea's neck and chest, her teeth every so often nipping at the sensitive flesh.

"Mmm." Dorothea whimpered as she felt Petra's teeth graze against her skin.

"May I be removing your dress?" Petra asked.

"I'd love it if you did."

Petra slid the sleeves of Dorothea's dress down her shoulders, Dorothea arched her back up off of the bed to aid Petra in tugging her dress down past her breasts. Petra slowly removed the dress from Dorothea's body and discarded it to the floor. Petra's eyes roamed all over Dorothea's slim body in nothing more than her matching black lace bra and panty set. Petra couldn't physically bring herself to tear her eyes away. Every inch of Dorothea's body was beautiful, her skin was smooth and flawless, her muscles were much leaner and less defined than Petra's were, but still very much present. This was the first time that Petra had truly allowed herself to gaze upon Dorothea's semi-naked body despite having had plenty of opportunities to do so in the past. Dorothea had never been shy about dressing and undressing in front of Petra even since their days as classmates at the Officers Academy. But, no matter how difficult it may have been not to look, Petra had always remained perfectly polite and forced herself to refrain from sneaking any glances at the former songstress when she was in any state of undress. Petra eventually set her sights on Dorothea's large, full breasts which were barely able to be contained by the black, lacy fabric of her bra. Dorothea had always considered her breasts to be one of her best physical assets and certainly had no qualms about showing them off at any chance she had to do so. Although Petra had been able to refrain from looking at Dorothea's body when she was undressed, she would have been lying if she said she hadn't stolen her fair share of glances at Dorothea's breasts when she had been fully clothed. It was nearly impossible not to look, even for someone with the strongest of will-power. Although Dorothea most likely wouldn't have minded, Petra still always felt guilty for allowing herself to look. She also tended to feel quite embarrassed and ashamed on occasions when she felt herself inadvertently become aroused at the sight. Whenever Petra had found herself feeling especially worked up, she had often resorted to using exercise as an outlet, frequently forcing herself into participating in rigorous weapons training sessions in hopes of using physical activity to sate as much of her pent up sexual energy and frustration as possible. But, thankfully in this moment, Petra was supposed to look at Dorothea's body and she wasn't the slightest bit embarrassed by her arousal now, in fact she gladly welcomed the same sensation of overwhelming warmth that she had in the past fought so hard to deny. Petra groped at Dorothea's breasts, slowly massaging them in her hands. She smiled and kissed Dorothea before moving downward and once again ravishing Dorothea's neck and chest with a series of heated kisses. Petra's fingertips grazed over Dorothea's hardened nipples through the thin material of her bra as she sucked hard on the former songstress' pulse point, making certain to leave an unmistakable mark, claiming her lover and fiancée as her own. Dorothea sighed in pleasure, sinking down into the pillows beneath her head as she felt Petra's lips graze over her throat. Petra was rather rough in the way that she kissed and handled her; Dorothea knew that Petra often didn't realize the extent of her own physical strength, but the former songstress didn't mind Petra's slight roughness at all, in fact she was very much enjoying herself and the opportunity to experience Petra's more aggressive side. In bed, the Princess of Brigid was dominant, possessive and now taking charge in such a way that aroused Dorothea to no end. Petra never did or typically said anything remotely sexual. Even when they had flirted back and forth over the years, Petra had remained mostly innocent and relatively reserved. She had on many occasions politely listened to Dorothea share stories of her sexual encounters with both men and women, but sex was always a topic that Petra herself tended to shy away from. She had never once offered up any insight at all into her own romantic life and often seemed a little embarrassed with the subject, which led Dorothea to make the assumption that Petra was likely still a virgin.

Petra then snaked her hand underneath Dorothea's body and clumsily unhooked her bra, she hurriedly slid the garment down the former songstress' arms and off of her body, anxiously flinging the undergarment away to be forgotten for the rest of the evening. Petra almost immediately leaned down and ran her tongue over one of Dorothea's now painfully erect nipples which was silently begging to be paid some desperately needed attention.

"Oh...mmm..." Dorothea released a quiet moan when she felt Petra's lips close around her nipple and begin sucking.

Dorothea's hands slid down Petra's back and around to her abdomen, until they reached the waistband of her pants. Dorothea took Petra's belt buckle into her hands and undid the prong from its hole. She quickly unbuttoned and unzipped the princess' pants and pulled them down her thighs as far as she possibly could. Petra released Dorothea's nipple, yanked her own pants down over her knees and quickly kicked them off of her body and away from the bed. In an instant, Petra's lips resumed their assault on Dorothea's breasts and sensitive nipples. Dorothea slipped her hand into Petra's hair and closed her eyes as Petra swirled her tongue around the stiff nub and sucked on it, eliciting a pleasurable sigh from the woman beneath her. A sudden rush of heat surged straight to Dorothea's core when she felt Petra's teeth gently tug on her nipple, even further heightening her arousal. If Petra was a virgin, she was somehow certainly skilled with her mouth and tongue.

"Have...you ever done this before?" Dorothea asked, her curiosity finally getting the best of her.

Petra stopped what she was doing and lifted her head to look up at Dorothea.

"Lovemaking, you are meaning?" Petra placed her hands on either side of Dorothea's shoulders and hovered above her.

Dorothea nodded, reaching up and gently running her fingers through Petra's hair.

"I have had physical intimacy with others before. But, I have not done these things with anyone I have had love for...until now."

Dorothea was genuinely surprised to learn that her prior suspicions were incorrect and that Petra was not a virgin after all. She was also elated to learn that this was the only sexual experience Petra had ever had in which she had been in love with her partner. Dorothea could have said much the same for herself. During her time as a student at the academy, Dorothea had had a number of flings with various noble boys and girls as well as commoners, but she never felt any emotional connection to any of them. They had all been merely disposable playthings to her, good for a single night of passion, then left to be cast out as soon as the first rays of morning sunlight broke over the horizon. Well, all with the exception of Ingrid. Dorothea did enjoy her company on many different occasions, she was at least a likable noble and never treated Dorothea poorly or disrespectfully due to her commoner social status. The daughter of Count Galatea was strong, kind and chivalrous, just as any aspiring knight very well should be. She was competent, a hard worker and a remarkably capable lover, always ready and more than willing to provide Dorothea with one steady orgasm after another whenever the former songstress had desired so. Although the time Dorothea spent with Ingrid had certainly yielded much pleasure and she enjoyed the friendship they shared as well, she hadn't ever felt the spark of true romantic love for the beautiful female knight-in-training. Dorothea's feelings for Ingrid were simply not comparable at all to what she felt for Petra. Here and now, being with Petra felt so wonderfully different from any of Dorothea's past experiences. Petra set Dorothea's heart to racing like no one else ever could. The Princess of Brigid, had barely even begun to explore her body and yet this was already by far the most pleasurable sexual experience that Dorothea had ever had in her life. Dorothea almost couldn't believe what was happening was actually reality. She worried that at any moment she'd disappointedly awaken, alone in her bed, from an incredibly realistic and very cruel dream.

"I am not having much expertise in the bedroom..." Petra admitted. "But, I am wanting you to know that I will be trying with hardness to be pleasing you." She leaned down and placed a kiss to Dorothea's lips. "I am hoping that you will be liking it."

"You're so sweet." Dorothea said, placing her hand on Petra's cheek. "I hope I haven't offended you by asking-"

"Please do not be worrying." Petra shook her head. "I am not upset."

Dorothea smiled brightly and pulled Petra down on top of her into a passionate kiss. As Petra's tongue slipped into her mouth, Dorothea's hands made their way around Petra's back and undid the hooks on her bra. Petra broke the kiss, slipped off her bra and tossed away the garment as quickly as she could, anxious to experience the sensation of her burning skin pressed against Dorothea's. Petra's nipples immediately grew rock hard when exposed to the cool air of the bedroom. In an instant, Petra's bare torso was pressed tightly against Dorothea's, their lips connecting again. The former songstress moaned into Petra's open mouth as she felt the princess' breasts pressed tightly against her own. When she leaned back, kneeling above Dorothea, the former songstress had her first opportunity to gaze upon a nearly nude Petra. Dorothea had wished for this very moment countless times and she wasn't about to waste it now. Dorothea's eyes roamed all over Petra's body. The Princess of Brigid was certainly a sight to behold. Her breasts were round, firm and a bit smaller than Dorothea's. The former songstress had seen Petra's bare breasts prior to this moment a few times when she had provided medical treatment, but there was of course nothing sexual at all about any of those instances. Dorothea reached up and placed her hands on Petra's arms, her eyes settling for a moment on the armband tattoo that wound itself around Petra's right bicep as her fingers gently traced over the purple marks.

"You are admiring of the markings from my homeland?" Petra asked.

"Yes. I always have." Dorothea nodded and smiled, she could feel the muscles of Petra's bicep subtly flex beneath her fingertips.

Dorothea was definitely impressed by Petra's physique, to say the least. Nothing but immaculate lean, strong and hard muscle graced every inch of her upper body. Dorothea's hands descended to Petra's abdomen, with her fingertips she gently traced the lines of the two muscled grooves located just to the inside of the princess' hips. Dorothea trailed her fingers downward following the curve of the muscles until she reached the waistband of Petra's underwear. Dorothea's eyes then slowly wandered to Petra's legs. She wasn't tall by any means, she was of average height at best, but regardless much of her body was composed of long, beautifully toned legs. Petra's years as a skilled huntress and warrior had also blessed the princess with the strongest, most powerful thighs that Dorothea had ever seen and on many occasions, the former songstress had caught herself fantasizing about what it would be like to be buried in between them, tasting the princess and driving her to ecstasy. Dorothea's fingertips disappeared underneath the thin fabric and she gently pulled the garment down the princess' thighs. Petra quickly finished removing her own underwear and tossed them away along with the rest of her discarded clothing. Dorothea's gaze quickly settled in between the princess' legs. Petra was not completely clean-shaven, like Dorothea typically preferred to keep herself, but the princess was indeed very well-groomed, bearing only a small patch of neatly trimmed hair. Dorothea usually liked to allow herself some time to prepare before an intimate encounter, but due the spontaneity of this one, she could only take a quick moment to praise herself for always faithfully keeping up with her own grooming habits.

Petra leaned down and resumed kissing Dorothea's neck and chest, she placed a few light kisses to Dorothea's shoulder before eventually finding her lips again. As they kissed, Petra's hips began slowly thrusting into Dorothea's body, searching for even the slightest bit of friction to alleviate some of the intense ache that she now felt radiating between her legs. Petra wasn't the only one whose arousal was now reaching new heights. Dorothea felt herself growing wetter with each passing moment, the sensation of Petra's center rubbing against her own was driving Dorothea completely crazy. Her panties were now nearly soaked all the way through and clung uncomfortably to her body. As if on cue, one of Petra's hands snaked its way down over Dorothea's abdomen and to the waistband of the brunette's panties. Petra grasped the lace undergarment in her hand and tugged last remaining article of clothing down Dorothea's long, well-toned legs. Dorothea began to feel just the slightest bit nervous, in a moment she would be completely naked in front of Petra. The former songstress had never been overly self-conscious when it came to her body, but compared to seeing Petra naked, she couldn't help but feel somewhat inferior. Once Petra had finished removing Dorothea's soaking wet panties, she haphazardly tossed the garment back over her shoulder.

For the next several moments, Petra silently stared down at Dorothea, her eyes locked intently with those of the former songstress, but Petra didn't speak, nor did she move even a single muscle.

"Is everything all right?" Dorothea asked.

"You are having great beauty. My eyes are having difficulty looking away..."

Petra leaned down and pressed her lips to Dorothea's and dipped her tongue into the former songstress' mouth. As they kissed, Dorothea's thighs wrapped themselves tightly around Petra's waist, she crossed her feet at the ankles, drawing Petra impossibly close to her. Petra rocked her hips into Dorothea's body as her tongue occupied itself by exploring the inside of Dorothea's mouth. Petra and Dorothea both moved in tandem, slowly thrusting into each other, their ever-growing arousal collectively dripped down onto the sheets beneath their heated bodies, creating physical evidence of the most intimate desires that they both shared. A raging fire burned deep within Dorothea's loins as she laid underneath Petra, feeling the princess' center rub against her own. As good as it felt having Petra on top, grinding and thrusting into her, it wasn't quite enough for Dorothea. Her arousal had skyrocketed to the point that she was now more desperate than ever to finally feel the princess inside of her.

"Petra. Please..." Dorothea broke the kiss to speak. She released the grip her thighs held around the princess' waist. She then took Petra's hand in her own and slowly guided it downward over her abdomen and toward her center. "I want you inside..."

With her fingertips, Petra slowly stroked the sensitive skin on the inside of Dorothea's thigh, which was also damp with the former songstress' desire.

"I am not wanting to be causing you discomfort." Petra said, her face hovering just above Dorothea's as her fingers slowly teased their way through the former songstress' slick folds, toward her entrance. "I will be trying to use gentleness."

"It'll be fine." Dorothea said reassuringly, slipping her hand behind Petra's head. "Don't hold back."

Petra nodded. "If you are ever wanting for me to be stopping, please tell me."

Dorothea's lips smashed against Petra's as she felt the Princess of Brigid tentatively enter her with two fingers. At this point, Dorothea was so wet and so ready that Petra slipped inside easily, being met with practically no resistance as she carefully pushed deeper inside.

"Oh Petra..." Dorothea moaned into the kiss and sunk down into the mattress.

"You are having much wetness." Petra said huskily.

"It's all for you." Dorothea choked out, ordinarily she would have been a little embarrassed by the fact that she had gotten this obviously excited for someone and she absolutely never would have acknowledged the fact, but she didn't care now. Dorothea was more aroused than she had ever been in her life and she wanted Petra to know it.

Dorothea spread her legs further apart, releasing a quiet moan as she felt Petra begin to slowly thrust her fingers in and out. Dorothea's tongue worked against Petra's as her hands slid down over Petra's muscular shoulders and back. Dorothea's body tensed and she placed her palm flat against the small of Petra's back as she felt the princess fall into a strong, steady rhythm with her fingers. Her leg involuntarily twitched when Petra's thumb brushed against her clit. Dorothea closed her eyes, on many particularly lonely nights, alone in bed, Dorothea had often fantasized about Petra when she pleasured herself, unabashedly imagining that the strong fingers working inside of her belonged to the princess, rather than her own hand. Dorothea also found Petra's name frequently on her lips at the moment that she had finally permitted herself to concede to her climax. As Petra pushed her fingers in, withdrew and pushed in again, she felt even better than Dorothea ever imagined that she possibly could.

"Are you okay?" Petra asked after increasing her pace just slightly.

Dorothea nodded, squirming underneath Petra. "You feel...so good." She whispered, her breath hot on Petra's ear.

Dorothea's hands roamed over Petra's back, her fingernails leaving dozens of small, crescent shaped impressions in Petra's flesh. Petra immensely enjoyed the sensation of Dorothea's fingernails dragging up and down her back, encouraging her to continue exactly what she was doing. Petra's lips found Dorothea's neck, she gently kissed and nipped at the sensitive skin of the junction where the brunette's neck met her shoulder. Dorothea's hips began to thrust off of the bed in time with Petra's fingers. Petra's hands were indeed very skilled, her adept fingers continued moving rhythmically inside of Dorothea, never faltering or slowing down as she worked her with drawn out, firm strokes. All of the long, grueling hours spent on archery practice both before and after the war had done absolute wonders for Petra's finger dexterity as well as her arm strength and Dorothea was delighted to currently be receiving the benefit of all of Petra's hard work. As Petra continued her pace, she could feel Dorothea's body squeezing her fingers and drawing her in deeper with each stroke. Dorothea noticed a thin layer of sweat beginning to develop all over Petra's body as the princess glided over top of her with each movement that she made with her hand. A pleasurable sigh escaped Dorothea's lips as her hands slowly crept up Petra's back. Petra took a moment to carefully curl her fingers inside of Dorothea, she wasn't entirely sure about what she was doing, but at some point she thought she had remembered overhearing Dorothea talking with some of the other girls about something called a G-spot and all of the girls then complaining about how their boyfriends or lovers had never been able to find it. From what Dorothea had said, Petra knew that a G-spot was something that women had and it was supposed to feel pleasurable when stimulated in the correct way, but that was about the extent of her knowledge. She almost certainly knew that she herself had never been touched there. Based on the way Dorothea and the other girls had talked about it, Petra assumed that she would have definitely known if she'd ever been touched there before. Her experience was limited with a partner, but even out of those experiences, Petra never found sex in general to be very gratifying, in fact, she had rarely ever even orgasmed with a partner. Her experience with women was even more limited as she had never taken the time to explore her own body before either. It wasn't common for her to succumb to her own sexual desires, but even on the occasions when her arousal became too much to handle and she'd allowed herself to indulge her own carnal needs, Petra never did so slowly or sensually at all, she never took the time to undress, experiment or tease herself, she only ever plunged her fingers directly into her underwear, seeking out her clit and rubbing herself roughly or when she was feeling particularly energetic, she had sometimes laid fully clothed face down in her bed, her hips quickly thrusting hard into her own hand, focusing solely on bringing herself the relief that her climax would provide rather than enjoying the experience of working to reach that point. Petra had always preferred to get herself off as quickly as possible so that she could then resume whatever more important task required her attention at the time.

Petra hoped that what she was doing would be enjoyed by the former songstress and she could only assume that she had found the correct spot when she heard Dorothea moan loudly beneath her. Petra's fingers began to lose their rhythm for a moment, her own arousal escalating to new heights as she felt Dorothea sink her fingernails hard into the tattooed mark on her upper back, between her shoulder blades. Dorothea was then met with a low-pitched grunt escaping from Petra's lips.

"I'm so sorry. Did I hurt you?" Dorothea panicked as she released her grip on Petra's back.

"You are not hurting me. I am liking it." Petra leaned down and reassuringly kissed Dorothea.

Petra refocused her attention and resumed moving her fingers as they kissed. After several minutes, Petra left Dorothea's lips and began kissing her way down her chest. A small disappointed sigh slipped from Dorothea's lips when she felt Petra's fingers withdraw completely from her body. She suddenly missed the sensation of fullness that Petra's fingers had provided her, but as the princess kissed her way down her abdomen, Dorothea knew exactly where she was headed and her excitement grew even despite the current emptiness in her core. Petra placed a kiss just below Dorothea's navel, her tongue flicked itself over the former songstress' flushed skin as she continued lower still. Petra stopped just short of Dorothea's center, she used both of her hands to part Dorothea's legs and she quickly settled in between the former songstress' thighs. The scent of Dorothea's arousal was inviting and Petra glanced up at her fiancée with hungry desire-glazed eyes. The princess wrapped her hands around Dorothea's thighs, leaned forward and first trailed her tongue over the sensitive skin of the former songstress' inner thighs. When she reached Dorothea's center, Petra took her first long, slow stroke with her tongue. Petra's tongue moved slowly from Dorothea's entrance upward. Petra slowly circled Dorothea's clit with only the tip of her tongue. Dorothea tasted quite sweet and Petra happily took her time to enjoy the natural flavor of the former songstress as she teased her with her tongue. Dorothea propped herself up on her elbows and stared down between her own parted knees to watch Petra ardently lap at her clit. She placed her hand on Petra's head, her fingers gently stroking through the princess' hair as each swipe of Petra's tongue brought her even greater pleasure than the last. Dorothea moaned fervently and collapsed back against the pillows, both of her hands now buried themselves deep in Petra's hair as she felt the princess' lips wrap around her clit and begin sucking.

"Oh! Mmm..." Dorothea cried out, tugging at Petra's hair, which quickly caused the princess' arousal to spike yet again.

Petra found herself unable to resist the urge to thrust her own hips into the mattress, seeking even the slightest bit of friction to help alleviate some of her own constantly growing arousal as she continued to relentlessly lick and suck at Dorothea's hardened bundle of nerves. Petra guessed that she was doing at least a fairly good job based on the escalating volume of Dorothea's moans and the way she tugged at her hair. Petra brought one of her hands up to Dorothea's center, swiftly slipped two fingers inside the former songstress' entrance and began steadily pumping them in and out.

"Mmmmm..." Dorothea whimpered, sinking her teeth into her bottom lip as her back arched up off of the bed, bringing her center in even closer contact with the princess' mouth.

Petra continued sucking, pausing every so often to flick her tongue over Dorothea's clit. Although Petra herself was now tremendously aroused, she decided to cast her own needs aside for the time being to focus exclusively on Dorothea's pleasure. The former songstress' eyes slammed shut, one of her hands left Petra's hair only to seek out her own breast. Dorothea massaged her breast and rolled her nipple between her index finger and thumb as Petra's mouth and tongue slowly brought her closer and closer to her climax.

"Please don't stop." Dorothea moaned. "I'm so close-"

As much as Dorothea was enjoying having Petra tend to her most intimate physical needs, she now found herself desperately wanting release. Dorothea slightly pushed Petra's head downward, holding the princess as close to her as possible as she anxiously waited for Petra to bring her where she needed to go. Petra's hand and tongue instinctively went into overdrive as she felt Dorothea begin to contract around her fingers. When Dorothea began to writhe on the bed, Petra used her free hand to firmly hold the former songstress' hips in place, pinning her to the mattress. Dorothea could feel a familiar albeit much more intense than usual sensation of heat begin to creep up her body. Dorothea held her breath, her impending orgasm now heavily bearing down on her. Petra's tongue firmly swiped across her clit several more times, causing Dorothea to finally tumble over the edge as she reached an enormously satisfying climax.

"Petra!" Dorothea cried out so loudly that her voice echoed off of the walls of her bedroom.

When Petra felt an extra rush of liquid begin to coat her fingers, she continued alternating licking and sucking, though much more slowly as she guided Dorothea through her orgasm. Once Dorothea's contractions subsided, Petra slowly withdrew her fingers and removed her mouth from Dorothea's body. She used the heel of her hand to wipe away the excess moisture from her own chin, she then placed several gentle kisses trailing up Dorothea's abdomen. Petra also placed a few kisses to Dorothea's chest as the former songstress released a small, satisfied sigh. Dorothea opened her eyes as her breathing began to return to a more normal pattern. She stared up at Petra who was now hovering above her, her hands placed on either side of the former songstress' shoulders and a light sheen of sweat glistened on her naked body as she worked to catch her breath.

"May I be kissing you?" Petra asked for permission, as she was unsure of whether or not Dorothea would want to be kissed after just having had oral sex performed on her.

"Of course." Dorothea smiled, she slipped her hand behind Petra's head and pulled her down into a kiss.

When Petra's tongue slipped into her mouth, Dorothea could taste herself on the princess' tongue. In the past, out of curiosity, Dorothea had certainly ventured to discover what she tasted like, but there was something excitingly erotic about tasting herself on Petra's lips and tongue rather than from her own fingers.

"I am liking your taste." Petra whispered huskily into Dorothea's ear before lightly nipping at her ear lobe.

The seductive tone of Petra's voice combined with her hot breath resonating in Dorothea's ear sent an intense surge of heat coursing directly to the former songstress' core and arousing her all over again. Petra then pressed her lips to Dorothea's again, as they kissed, their bodies practically melted into one another, arms, legs and tongues tangling together. Dorothea rolled over, prompting Petra to follow suit. Petra quickly obliged and eagerly changed positions with Dorothea, now lying flat on her back underneath the former songstress. Dorothea pulled away from Petra's lips and placed a kiss to the princess' cheek and then to her jaw. Dorothea guessed that Petra was more than ready, based on her quick willingness to submit to the change in dominance. Dorothea straddled one of Petra's thighs as she began kissing her way down the princess' neck and chest. Dorothea slid her hands over both of Petra's breasts, gently kneading each one. Dorothea then leaned down and slowly swirled her tongue around one of Petra's nipples before closing her mouth around the stiff nub and roughly sucking. Petra arched into Dorothea's mouth, her hands slipping down to the small of the brunette's back. Once Dorothea felt that she had paid adequate attention to Petra's breasts, she continued trailing a line of kisses down the princess' abdomen. Petra sunk her teeth into her bottom lip as she watched Dorothea playfully trace her abdominal muscles with her tongue. Dorothea was sure that she was enjoying this every bit as much as Petra was. Once Dorothea finally reached Petra's center, she positioned herself in between the princess' thighs. By now Petra was painfully swollen and hard as she patiently waited for Dorothea to touch her. Dorothea slowly and carefully entered Petra with two of her fingers, the princess was relatively tight, but very adequately lubricated so Dorothea didn't experience any substantial resistance as she pushed inside. Dorothea began thrusting her fingers in and out, slowly at first but rapidly gaining speed as Petra's body adjusted to the invasion. Dorothea used her thumb to periodically press down on and rub small, tight circles over the princess' clit. Once Dorothea felt Petra begin to squirm underneath her touch, the former songstress wasted no time in giving Petra what she now so urgently desired. She dipped her head downward and gently began to stroke Petra up and down with her tongue. Dorothea heard a low-pitched guttural grunt escape from Petra's lips. She could tell that Petra was probably not going to be an overly vocal lover, but she had already expected as much and even through Petra's hushed grunts and stifled moans Dorothea was able to gather that Petra was very much enjoying herself. One of Petra's hands laced itself into Dorothea's hair while the other gripped the pillow beneath her head as the former songstress teasingly circled her tongue around the princess' clit. Petra's hips jolted up off of the bed when she felt Dorothea wrap her lips around her swollen bundle of nerves, granting her one single hard suck. Petra's grip tightened on Dorothea's hair and she gave the former songstress a much sharper tug than she ever meant to when she felt Dorothea fall into a steady rhythm of sucking and licking.

"I am sorry." Petra quickly apologized as she removed her hand from Dorothea's hair and gripped the bed sheets instead.

Petra had received oral sex before but it had never felt nearly this good. Dorothea didn't even bother to discontinue pleasuring Petra to acknowledge the unnecessary apology. Dorothea was quite happy with herself, Petra was obviously experiencing intense pleasure and the former songstress was completely unfazed by the unintentional rough tug to her hair.

Both of Petra's hands now gripped the bed sheets on either side of her body in tightly clenched fists. She felt as though she could tear the sheets straight off of the mattress. Petra closed her eyes, her chest heaving up and down as she tried to rein in her arousal to avoid climaxing too soon. Dorothea, being very in tune to the way Petra's body responded to every one of her touches, knew that Petra was getting dangerously close to the edge. When Dorothea began to feel some subtle contractions of Petra's body around her fingers, she quickly pulled her mouth back and stopped moving her fingers to both prevent Petra from finishing and to also force her to maintain an incredibly high state of arousal. Dorothea noticed Petra's hands gripped so hard around the bed sheets that her knuckles were now turning white. Petra opened her eyes and looked down at Dorothea. The former songstress placed her hand on top of Petra's and loosened her grip on the sheets. Dorothea then guided Petra's hand back into her brunette locks.

"But-" Petra opened her mouth to protest.

"It's okay, sweetheart. Don't worry." Dorothea said reassuringly. She placed a kiss just above Petra's center as she once again settled herself in between the princess' parted thighs.

Petra quietly sighed, running her fingers through Dorothea's, soft brunette hair when she felt the former songstress' tongue connect with her clit again. Petra's hips raised off of the bed and she spread her legs a little further apart to grant Dorothea better access. She gripped Dorothea's hair between her fingers, this time trying to be more mindful of the amount of force she was using whenever she felt the urge to tug at the former songstress' dark locks. Petra was extremely surprised at how much she found herself enjoying sex. She actually liked Dorothea's slow, skillful and almost torturous teasing of her body. Dorothea slid one of her hands over Petra's thigh and up to her abdomen. As she gently caressed the princess' stomach, she could feel a quick increase in Petra's breathing rate as the rise and fall of her abdomen became more and more dramatic with each passing moment. Petra leaned back heavily against the headboard, gruffly cursing under her breath in her native tongue. Dorothea didn't know much of the language from Brigid, but could only hope that every hushed word falling from Petra's lips was some sort of expletive. Dorothea made a mental note to begin studying the language of Petra's homeland as soon as possible, if for no other reason than to be able to understand what Petra was saying during a moment of passion.

"Dorothea..." Petra choked out in low, throaty tone of voice.

Dorothea's ears perked up and the sound of her own name. There was something incredibly arousing about hearing Petra speak her name amidst the quiet grunts and whispered curse words. Dorothea guessed that by now Petra must have been more than ready to come. She doubled her efforts with her fingers and tongue. Dorothea gently curled her fingers inside Petra as her tongue moved relentlessly against the princess' clit. It was only a few moments later that Dorothea felt Petra begin to wildly contract around her fingers. Petra released a low, guttural grunt and held Dorothea's head impossibly close to her body as she came. When Dorothea felt an additional surge of liquid begin to coat her fingers, she quickly withdrew her hand and opened her mouth to happily accept every drop of Petra's climax as she gently coaxed the princess through her orgasm. Once Dorothea had swallowed all that Petra had to give, Dorothea moved back up on the bed, she wound her arms around Petra's body and pressed her cheek to the princess' chest, peacefully listening to the beat of her heart. Petra wrapped her own arms around Dorothea, holding her close. Lying in the arms of the future Queen of Brigid after having made passionate love with her was a completely unfamiliar type of paradise that Dorothea never thought she could ever possibly deserve to experience.

"That was absolutely wonderful." Dorothea said, placing a kiss to Petra's bare chest. "No one has ever made me feel like this before. I think you and I are good together."

"Yes. I am thinking the same." Petra agreed. "You are the…mate of my soul. I have certainty."

Dorothea smiled. She shifted her position and pressed her lips against Petra's.

"I am having much love...uh...I love you, Dorothea." Petra corrected herself.

"I love you too." Dorothea placed her hand on Petra's cheek and kissed her again.

"I am liking hearing you speak those words to me." Petra smiled.

"From now on, I'll get to say them every day. I can't believe we waited so long for this."

"We are having much time to be making up for." Petra said as she rolled over, moving one of her knees over Dorothea's waist and quickly mounting her.

"Oh. You're ready to go again. Already?" Dorothea giggled, slipping her hands over Petra's shoulders. "Such endurance...I'm impressed."

"Hunters of Brigid must be having great endurance and stamina." Petra said. "We will be doing this every night when we are married."

"Every night, huh?" Dorothea chuckled, biting her lip. "Is that a promise?"

"You are having my word." Petra nodded.

"Well then, who am I to deny a request from my Queen?" Dorothea smirked. "I'll be happy to serve every single one of your needs." Dorothea's tone dripped with seduction.

"Dorothea. I have not asked you to be my wife because I am wanting for you to be serving me. You are equal to me. We will be leading Brigid together." Petra obviously had not picked up on the playfulness in Dorothea's voice.

Dorothea was actually glad that Petra had misinterpreted the intentions of her words. The former songstress' heart soared with happiness, she felt lucky as well as incredibly grateful to have finally found true and honest love with someone as sweet, humble and inherently good as Petra was.

"I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you." Dorothea smiled brightly at her future wife before pulling her down into another heated, passion-filled kiss.


End file.
